Friday, December 24, 2010

Go Toward the Lights! (Part 2 of 2)

Standard disclaimer: Lights at night are the sort of thing that can be recorded by my camera, but not done full justice. It really is kind of magical seeing all the lights and how they gradually shift colors, or just the ambiance of having them around the perimeter of whatever area you're standing in. I've done my best, but they're at least three times as fantastic in person.

Tonight's illumination visitation location: Tokyo Dome City. Upon arrival, we learn that the whole lit-up thing is "Tokyo Dome City • Super Light City 2010 • A Present For You"

Tokyo Dome City is the whole complex in and around Tokyo Dome. Aside from the stadium, there is a bowling something-or-other, a baseball museum, shopping galore, and a small theme park. We'd been once before (the roller coaster goes through a building, for crying out loud!), but not at night and not when everything is wrapped in LEDs. Unfortunately, by the time we arrived, neither the coaster nor the wheel were still moving. Maybe next time.

Under the Ferris Wheel is a walkway leading to shopping and restaurants in either direction. Along that walkway is an impressive set of arches that slowly slide through the colors of the rainbow.

It doesn't capture very well on video, but I gave it a go (several, really, but this was the best):

The photographs are a little too dark, the video is a little too white, in reality it was somewhere between the two, and it was stunning.

Elsewhere in the main plaza, in the middle of all the shopping and theme park rides:I don't know if any of them have any significance, but they were elaborate and animated. Especially the little pavilion in the very center:

I managed to decline my husband's offer of a crepe, but I was not able to turn down Baskin Robbins. Not because I didn't offer a token attempt, but because he went ahead inside and I had no choice but to follow. (Oh. Woe is me.)

They've got Christmas themed specials, like everywhere else, including an assortment tray in the shape of a tree.I guess they offer different specials here than in the States, but trust me: what we ordered looks exactly like the picture. It's amazing. That's not just ice cream, that's art. And everything is edible but the cups, spoons, and the sprig of holly on the left. I was jealous of Future Kim before we got them. And now I'm a little jealous of Past Kim that had such a treasure.
Seriously. LOOK AT IT AND BE AMAZED.

Anyway. Bellies full of magic, we headed back out to the other side of TDC.
Video of the change in view from upstairs to downstairs:

It's a rainbow river of light.
The centerpiece of this corridor is that white-outlined ship, which I'll meander up to shortly.
We had some fun photographing reflections.
Across the sidewalk from the ship and the rainbow river of light is a giant statue of Ultraman, looking a little sullen and left out.
Lucky shot, framing the ship with the Ferris Wheel:

Moving on, a block away was a series of three of these monstrosities:I think they're promoting a circus, but I'm not 100% sure.
I was 100% sure I wanted a picture with one.
Up a ramp, more lights.

There was this pink and red, almost Valentine tree (I took a picture of the sign explaining it, not that I have any idea who AI is).
And next to that tree was this exquisite mess:Really? A podium for couples (or groups of girls, in this case) to stand between two winged unicorns? How fabulously cheesy! I love it.

That gaggle of girls is actually about to pose for a group shot that Husband was nice enough to take for them with one of their cameras. In return, they took one of the two of us with my camera. They wished us a Merry Kurisumasu, and he gave them handfuls of mini candy canes he's been carrying around. They promptly freaked out with glee and called him Santa-san.